Allison

Hello! I am excited to be working as a tutor for Varsity Tutors. I have a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a Masters in Special Education. I have over 8 years of experience working with children.

I worked for two years in the special education field and two years in second grade. I have over 5 years experience with preschool children.

I also taught developmental math at the college level for two years.

When I am not tutoring I enjoy church activities, spending time with my family and crocheting.

I believe that everyone can learn -- just in their own way. It may be visual, tactile, kinesthetic or auditory learners. I try and find the way the student learns and then use that as the foundation for planning.

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

I would do an icebreaker activity to help them to relax and not feel so nervous.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I would give them the tools they need to help themselves by modeling and scaffolding learning.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would praise, praise and praise some more.

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?

I would try a different hands-on approach to see if that helped.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

I would give them tools to help them to remember what they read, such as reading slower, making notes, and rereading passages.

What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?

I have found that students need to feel comfortable, first of all. You need to make sure that they know that you care about them. You need to be positive in feedback and give them the tools they need to be successful. Scaffold their learning and build off of what they already know.

How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?

I would find what interests them and use that to feed their excitement and engagement.

What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?

I would ask questions and have them give me examples of their own. I would have them verbally tell me, show me on paper, or even do a project.

How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?

You let them start out doing a skill or a task that they know, and build off of that. Letting them succeed with something they know will build confidence.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I would evaluate a student's needs by using various assessments to form a starting point in tutoring. By using various assessments, you can get a better overall picture of where the student is at academically.

What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?

During a typical tutoring session, I would use the materials that the student has brought. I would also bring any type of manipulatives that may be helpful with teaching the student the skill to be learned.

How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?

I would adapt to the student's needs by watching for cues and body language from the student. If student appears to be frustrated with a certain task, I would transition to another task or give the student a short brain-break.

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